-For many Brits, renovating a property in Europe is a lifelong dream.

-I think we need to rebuild this.

100%.

-But some have bigger dreams than others.

-This is crazy.

-Even I would think twice about having a go at this.

-Because scattered around Europe are thousands of villages, hamlets, and historical settlements lying abandoned... -These houses should be preserved, the history in them.

-...on the brink of being lost forever.

-The future is about making sure that this continues.

-In this series, we meet a brand-new batch of village owners... -Glasses at the ready.

-...and return to some familiar faces as they set about rebuilding history.

-You think you know what needs to be done, and then you don't know a tenth of what needs to be done.

-They'll discover ancient mysteries... -Got a big cavern here, and then we've got a tunnel over there.

-...as they turn their crumbling ruins into amazing homes and businesses.

-We have really made this place come alive again.

-But will it be a smooth ride... -And that's how you wreck a house.

-...or will their dreams come tumbling down... -[ Groans ] -Crack a smile.

You can do it.

-...as they restore the past to build their future.

-We bought a village.

-We bought a village.

-[ Laughs ] ♪♪ -Today, there's high drama for our village saviors in France... -[ Groans ] -...and some fascinating discoveries from the past.

-Oh, no!

What is that?

-[Laughing] I don't know.

He's been dead a while.

-Gosh, it's Jurassic.

-Meanwhile, at a historic hamlet in the Limousin... -It just keeps going.

-'Cause you can't stop it.

You have to drag it back.

-...the fight is on with modern machinery.

-Rubbish.

It's all lumpy and horrible.

We're amateurs at this game.

So we're learning as we're going along.

-And for the owners of a medieval commune in Italy, is there, at last... -Whoo!

-...something to celebrate?

-Trust me, the biggest stress you're ever going to have in your life is buying a ridiculously big, massive property... -Cultural heritage and heritage in Italy.

-...cultural heritage and heritage in Italy you want to do up and live in.

♪♪ -Amongst the fields and forests of the Vienne in Midwest France lie dozens of abandoned villages and empty buildings that are the casualties of history -- places like La Galiserie, a traditional French manor house built in the 15th century that once supported about 20 families.

♪♪ La Galiserie was on the verge of dereliction until Sean and Lolly, from Sussex, heard its cries for help and dedicated their lives to it six months ago.

-We just fell in love with everything that this had to offer.

Although derelict.

[ Laughs ] -And grass higher than you.

-Yes, the grass is up there.

The mounds of earth, everything that we found in the earth was just ridiculous.

-The couple intend to open as a B&B with two gites, but it seems, like many who fall in love with Europe's ghost villages, they may have been ruled by their hearts, not their heads.

-We just thought, "We're going to go.

We're going to go hook, line, and sinker."

We got our visa.

So we got out here as quickly as possible.

And, yeah, I'm not sure we really thought it through.

-I think most people thought we hadn't thought it through, as well.

-[ Laughs ] -It's July.

-Okay.

-Got it?

-Yeah, boy.

-Problems finding contractors mean Lolly and Sean are still focusing on smaller jobs they can do themselves or with help from Lolly's builder son, Charlie.

They've been insulating roofs, repairing walls, and creating a sunken terrace, where, today, Lolly is going to add some finishing touches.

-It's crazy, isn't it, what you bring over with you.

But I had tons of these stones.

So, I just found them again.

So I'm going to put them around my olive trees.

Last load.

I have to go through the tower and through the house.

-Getting to the terrace has just become much easier because they've knocked a new doorway through from the main house.

-But I'm parking it there because I don't want to go over this stone threshold yet.

I know it's set, but just in case.

Just adore it.

Just adore it.

It's lovely.

"A-door."

[ Laughs ] That's all a bit cringey, wasn't it?

I didn't mean to say that.

[ Laughs ] Funny.

♪♪ -Lolly and Sean's main focus today, though, is an old barn that used to store melons and they'd like to turn into a reception area.

-We're going to have some ceiling lights and we're going to have a floor socket, so it would be good if we can clear the areas at least that we're going to have some lighting and he can run his wires easily.

-Before the manoir was abandoned, the main crop was Charentais melons, a French cantaloupe with a deep-orange flesh.

And for years, local farmers brought them here before they were shipped off to market.

-In 1992, they moved from this property to set up a huge business, which is on the other side of the village, which brings in most of the money.

-In the 30 years since the farmers left, though, the melon room has just been used for storing junk.

So Lolly and Sean definitely have their hands full.

-Oh, my word, the nails that they've used to put in these -- Whatever you call that.

-Metal.

-Metal to keep the polystyrene in place have -- Well, they've got to be at least that long, haven't they?

They just grew.

-Yeah.

-Sean dives into the heavy work with the gusto you'd expect from a former Olympian.

♪♪ -Yes, bulldog.

[ Gasps ] Look at that lovely wall.

-But it isn't long before he disturbs one local resident, who isn't happy about the noise.

-Look at that.

-[ Gasps ] -That's the biggest spider ever.

-Oh, my God.

Oh, God!

It's just, like, large.

I have never seen anything -- Obviously, in a zoo.

-[Laughing] A zoo.

-They're allowed to be in a zoo.

Oh, God.

He's going to go up to the ceiling, isn't he?

And then we're going to pull the ceiling down, and it's going to land on my head.

You -- Don't let him fall on the floor.

Don't -- Oh!

-Oh, he's behind there.

-Now he's lost forever.

-No he's not.

We've got to take this apart.

So if you do that bit there... -I'm not doing that bit.

I'm coming over here.

And it's stupid, because there's going to be loads over here.

-There's one there.

Look.

-Where?

-The couple were hoping to get the old melon room cleared by the end of today, but with a squatting spider giving them the runaround, it could take quite a bit longer.

♪♪ On a hillside east of Rome is a village that started life in the eighth century as a handful of homes in the shadow of an abbey.

By the Middle Ages, San Benedetto was a castello , a fortified commune protected from invaders by high walls and thick wooden doors.

Over time, the buildings have morphed into one incredible structure, and it's now in new hands.

After spotting it empty and unloved, Andrew, Katja, and their children moved here from Brighton, where Andrew worked as a videographer and Katja was a P.A.

-We feel like custodians of this historical building.

-Yeah.

-And I feel a responsibility to make sure that it's preserved as best as it can be.

-Tragically, an earthquake hit the castello just after Andrew and Katja bought it, and its walls and watchtower were badly damaged.

Government contractors helped repair the areas that were hit and have plowed money into San Benedetto, but there was still lots to do.

-When we were handed the keys back by the building company that did all the seismic work, it was like -- oh, my God -- -It was amazing.

-Yeah, I mean, we were just on such a high.

-We really were, yeah.

-If Andrew and Katja had had to pay to fix the earthquake damage themselves, it would have cost over 1 million euros.

-That sounds a lot, but, actually, when you think of how much property there is, how much space, and how much work and how specialized it is, it's actually not very much at all.

-Well, it wasn't enough, clearly, because they ran out of money and left us without windows.

-Yeah.

Or doors.

-And doors.

-The couple hoped to turn the castello , with its 50-plus rooms, into a home, holiday lets, and an event space.

-This is our function room, which is going to double as a cinema, a party room, and a room for functions.

-In the 16th century, the castello was gifted by King Charles V of Spain to an army captain, and this may well have been the room where he ate and entertained his guests.

-We're hoping that we're going to have bookings for weddings, hopefully other events, as well, and we can use this as a disco.

-But this is a place of real historical and cultural importance in Italy, and, as such, every single change Andrew and Katja want to make has to be approved, and that takes time.

It's March 2023, and what should have been a momentous day is turning out to be a damp squib.

After waiting 10 months for new windows, they should have taken delivery today, but there's a problem.

-We're here, sitting in our living-room cavity -- A window cavity, I should say, because it isn't a window, because when it's a window, it has something in it, and there's nothing in it, as you can see, because we're sitting in it.

-Without glazing in the cavities, the couple have to spend about two hours every day putting up and taking down boards, so it's a bitter blow.

-Yet another disappointment.

I did have a feeling, though, that we would come today and that the window guy would not be here with the windows.

-Just over a week later, though, after frantic phone calls to confirm a new delivery date, the end of their window saga is at last in sight.

-So, windows.

I'm in shock.

-[ Laughs ] Oh, my gosh.

-Shocked, happy, confused, elated.

It's a strange mixture of emotions.

It's been a long wait.

They look lovely, I have to say.

They look very decent.

It's just amazing to see something happening.

♪♪ -It feels so good.

They feel good.

Oh, my God, finally.

Finally.

This is just amazing.

I didn't think I'd ever be so happy about windows.

Windows?

-There is a tiny cause for concern.

-13.

Yeah, it's 13.

-Is one missing?

Is what you're saying, it should be 14?

-But after waiting so long, it isn't enough to dampen Andrew and Katja's spirits.

-I mean, did you expect it to go perfectly?

-No.

-No.

Exactly.

So, apparently, there is one window missing.

Don't know which one.

-There's only one window missing.

To be honest, we're doing really well.

-Yeah.

-Having windows fitted may seem a small step forward, but when you're dealing with a place of such historical and cultural significance, every step is a giant leap.

And for Andrew and Katja, today will hopefully be a real line in the sand.

-They're going to put everything in position, check the measurements, make sure they know which one goes where, and then they're going to start installing them.

-Yeah.

-We hope.

-Coming up... -Yeah, the water's just leaching through the wall, probably in there, and coming out the other side.

-...there's a roof to repair at a village in France.

-Ugh!

It's a bit slippery.

-And... -It doesn't look very nice in the face.

It looks a bit fierce.

-...what exactly have Lolly and Sean unearthed?

-We're not sure what kind of animal it is, but that's the second one we found, unfortunately.

♪♪ -The lost villages of Europe take time to bring back to life.

But deep in the Limousin, there's a hamlet that proves, with hard work and dedication, great things can happen.

Montmagner is now being lovingly looked after by Ted and Lesa, who've dedicated their lives to making this place sing once more.

-We have done three apartments.

We have done the restaurant.

We've cleaned out the barns.

-We've done the courtyard.

-We've done the courtyard.

-We've done the tower.

-All this was grass.

-Montmagner had been empty for over a decade when Ted and Lesa were captivated by its story.

They plowed £160,000 into buying it, and not only did it take most of their savings, it also took a huge leap of faith.

-The funny thing is, this is the first house we have ever owned together, because in the UK, we couldn't afford to own our own house.

So we go from renting to owning a village.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

♪♪ -It's January, and Ted and Lesa have spent the last few months living in a tent in the old piggery while they convert it into a gite.

They've already installed new windows and renovated the roof themselves with a little help from friends and neighbors.

But today, everything has ground to a halt because there's a problem.

-It's leaking.

We've got water ingress coming in.

We're not really sure why.

-We first noticed it because the wall was lovely, looked all really nice and done, and then it obviously got darker because it had got a load of water in it.

-They suspect water is dripping through gaps in the mortar at the edge of the roof, and it's vital they get it repaired quickly.

If they don't, the leak is bound to cause even more damage, and they don't have the funds to call in any experts.

-We've got to go up there again and do another layer over the top -- and a big layer.

-So, we've borrowed a scaffolding tower from a friend of ours.

-Yeah.

We borrowed a roofing ladder.

-And I'm going to get back up on the roof.

-Yeah.

I'll start mixing again.

-And I hate heights.

Absolutely hate heights.

-Yeah.

This will be quite interesting.

-Get it done.

Ted's always a bit worried that, obviously, he's a lot heavier.

-What she's saying?

-He's a little bit heavier.

So it's better to have the slender person.

[ Laughs ] Ugh!

Okay.

Look, you've got no worries now.

-It's a bit slippery.

-This wall here is so ancient.

And, as you see, there's really big holes in it, where it's got no mortar.

The water is just leaching through the wall, probably in there, and coming out the other side.

-I can poke my finger in there.

So I think it's the fact that if we can mortar a bit of the wall, as well, whilst I'm up here, I think that will certainly help.

-Hopefully that'll work.

We can only try.

-Yeah.

-Only a few weeks ago, Lesa was anxious about just stepping on the roof.

Now she's conquered her nerves and is ready to put another new skill into practice.

-I thought we've pretty much done this roof.

There's still a little bit of tinkering to do, but I thought we were nice and dry.

And then it comes back and bites you on the bottom.

I reckon it's this building tells you, "No, it ain't good enough, mate.

Go do it again."

-Nearly at the end now, and I've got a good feeling about it.

-With a liberal coat of mortar now applied and Lesa safely back on the scaffold tower... -Well done!

-[ Laughs ] Right.

Shall I go put the kettle on?

-Oh, that'd be lovely.

-...there's just time for a final flourish from Ted.

-I should have put "L4T," shouldn't I, really.

-Saving Europe's ghost villages is often only possible when you learn new skills and do the work yourself, and Ted and Lesa are perfect examples of custodians throwing their all into their passion.

But the question still remains -- will the self-taught repairs be enough to keep the former piggery dry?

-Now it's a case that we need the weather to keep off.

If it rains, we might find it all sitting on the floor then just outside the gutter, and the wall would all be wet again, which won't be pleasant.

I won't be looking forward to that.

♪♪ -Back in the melon room at La Galiserie, the noisy demolition is proving too much for the spiders... who are now keeping a low profile, so it's full steam ahead for Lolly and Sean.

When the manoir was still used to store fruit, the polystyrene on the walls helped to keep it fresh, but the room is destined to be a reception area for holiday guests, and all the old boards will have to be taken to the tip in Sean's trailer.

-Not sure whether we can go this high, really, but...

They'll probably take it all off.

I like it gone.

-Sean's Olympic mind-set means he never gives less than his best, so he gets through jobs at an incredible speed.

But it also means he makes lots of dust and plenty of noise.

-[Laughing] Alright, alright, calm down.

-This is all strapped down.

None of this is going anywhere.

So, it's a very still day, as well.

There's hardly any wind, so nothing's going to get lifted.

And it's all supported and pushed down.

So that's not going anywhere.

Famous last words.

No, it's definitely not going anywhere.

-As Sean heads to the tip... -And away we go.

-...Lolly takes over.

And while her approach might not win any medals for speed, it's definitely quieter than Sean's.

-That one piece.

Look -- I'm not even making a mess.

[ Laughs ] Love it.

All in one go.

-A short time later, Sean is back with the ceiling in his sights.

This time, though, his crash-bang-wallop technique brings down more than just the old boards.

-Ugh!

-Oh, no!

What is that?

-[Laughing] I don't know.

I have no clue what that is, but... -Oh, my God.

-He's been dead a while.

-It's Jurassic.

-Could be a cat.

-It could be a cat.

It could be anything.

Or maybe it got up there and it couldn't get out.

Oh, gosh, that's weird, isn't it?

Aah!

It's quite long, isn't it?

-Get some soup off that.

-[ Chuckles ] Oh, it doesn't look very nice in the face.

Is that a cat?

-I don't know.

I've never seen a skeleton of a cat.

It doesn't look like a cat.

-Doesn't, does it?

It looks a bit fierce.

-As Lolly takes the skeleton outside, Sean comes across another one in the rafters.

-I'm not sure what kind of animal it is, but that's the second one we've found, unfortunately, now perished.

Got it?

-Yeah.

-This one looks even unhappier.

-It's all very mysterious, until Lolly's son, Charlie, takes a break from insulating the main building and comes up with a theory.

-With the help of Google, we found out what they are.

They're European mink.

"The European mink, also known as the Russian mink and Eurasian, semi-aquatic species native to Europe."

-Once, the European mink was a common sight in France, but since the 19th century its numbers have been dwindling due to habitat loss, river pollution, and competition with American mink escaped from fur farms.

It's now critically endangered, so Lolly and Sean's skeletons are a rare find.

After a bit more demolition work... [ Cracking ] -That's a nice noise, isn't it?

Bit like a tree falling down.

-...the final shreds of polystyrene are removed, and the room is ready for the next stage of renovations.

-Last bit of wood, and then we are done.

♪♪ Ta-da!

-Well done.

-Fini.

-Well done.

It's really hard.

Amazing.

Really great.

-It's been a challenging and long day, but it's successful, so... -Yeah, you've had the hard graft.

All done.

Voilà.

♪♪ -It's over and done, and, actually, the last room have been as it was when we first turned up.

-Yeah, stripped out.

Everything else -- Every other room and every part of this property has been stripped out, cleaned.

Really thrilled with progress today.

We'll take the door off tomorrow, because that's -- -Will we?

-Did we not discuss that?

-No, you didn't.

You just said you didn't like the door.

-Or maybe I was thinking out loud.

[ Laughs ] -Alright, we take the door off tomorrow.

-So, yeah, another great day, and then we come out and sit out and sunflowers and blue skies still, and it's 8:30 in the evening.

You can't fault it.

Love it.

-Mm.

-Really happy.

♪♪ -Coming up, Ted's got a puzzle to solve down at the piggery.

-I can't see if that's the on/off.

On.

[ Click ] There we go.

It's on.

-And is there an end in sight for Andrew and Katja's epic project?

-For us, having five apartments full of people will be like having a little village again.

-It'll be lovely.

-Yeah, it would be great.

♪♪ -It's early February in Montmagner, where Ted and Lesa are breathing a huge sigh of relief because the repair on the piggery roof seems to be holding.

It means, today, they can focus on the floor and another new skill.

-We're laying all the hardcore in there today and then doing something we've never done before, which is, one, lying hardcore to a relatively level floor, and then using this thing, this great big lump of metal commonly known as a wacker plate.

And it vibrates the stone, compacts it down.

So it makes a nice base for when you put your insulation and your concrete on the top.

-Ted and Lesa have two rooms to do, and they only have the wacker plate for 24 hours.

But they're optimistic.

-I'm hoping we can get this done -- Well, we have to get it done today.

-Yeah.

-We've got this until 7:00.

We'll have to live by the seat of our pants.

-The hardcore takes most of the morning to shift in Ted's wheelbarrow.

-Every barrow we do is a barrow closer to the goal.

-But by lunchtime, the couple are well on schedule.

-It's about just after 2:00, and we've got until 7:00.

So I don't think it's going to take me five hours.

I sincerely hope not.

-Ted has a bit of bother getting the machine started, though.

-I can't see if that's the on/off.

On.

[ Click ] There we go.

It's on.

It's not having it, is it?

This is really quite interesting.

-But, eventually, he's up and running.

[ Rumbling ] -It's working!

I was beginning to get a bit fed up with it.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ -The trouble is, now the machine seems to have a mind of its own.

-The only thing about using it is trying to stop it, 'cause you can't stop it.

You have to drag it back.

-And an hour later, Ted isn't impressed with the results.

-Rubbish.

It's all lumpy and horrible.

And then, when you try to get in the corners, it's still loose as hell.

And it's massively high here.

It's like the hills of Dorset.

-If Ted can't compact the stones and level the floor, there's a risk the concrete they pour on top could crack, so it needs to be right.

-I think we're just gonna have to keep running over it, running over it, running over it as much as possible.

-But... -It is what it is.

-It is what it is, and we'll have to use it as much as we can and see what happens.

-Whoo-hoo!

We're off.

-It's back-breaking work, but Ted and Lesa aren't a couple to give in easily.

-So, we're high there.

We're too low there.

So down here, we're bang on.

This is the thing -- we're amateurs at this game.

So we're learning as we're going along.

That's it.

Yeah, you're fine.

You're just a little bit low there, but that doesn't matter.

-They decide to add a thin layer of sand on top in the hope it will give them a little more precision.

-Are we just creating more problems for ourselves putting this in?

Do we just chuck it in and whack it over and see what happens?

Yeah?

-Yeah.

I think so.

-I don't know.

I have no idea.

You're under the illusion that I know what I'm doing.

I have no idea.

-And after Lesa has another bash with the wacker plate, they finally call it a day.

-How do you turn it off?

I think once we get the insulation down -- the membrane, insulation -- on top of it will be fine.

What do you think?

-It's perfect.

-It's okay?

-Yeah.

-So, I've gone over it a lot of times, so I don't think we're going to get it any better.

-I think it's absolutely fine.

-The floor is as level as it's ever going to be, and the couple can look forward to finishing the job with a concrete pour in a few days' time.

-It's a successful day.

I'm pretty whacked.

Moving 4 tons of stone -- -I really worked just doing that bit of raking.

-Raking it about.

If we can do this in three days, I'll be amazed.

-Yeah, be good.

-Good day.

Well done.

Well done, you.

-Well done, you.

♪♪ -In San Benedetto, the heavens have opened, and Andrew and Katja's new windows are getting soaked.

-It's tipping down.

Doesn't happen often.

-But since the couple have waited 10 months for their delivery, they aren't prepared to let anything spoil their day.

-Let's put it this way.

If these windows weren't any good and would fall apart in a light shower, there's not much point in us having them here, so it shouldn't really do anything to them.

They've all been treated with a U.V.- and water-resistant coat, so they should be fine.

-Although it's thought to be the Romans who first crafted glass into windows, when the castello was built, the residents probably hung animal skin, like vellum, or flattened horn in the cavities.

Glass windows became widespread in the 17th century, and Andrew has done his best to choose a design that's in keeping with tradition.

-Despite all of the stress, all of the waiting, all of the cost, I love the windows.

And they've got a sort of ready finish to them.

And I think that will look really good.

I think it will look fantastic.

-Andrew and Katja's architect, Paola, is here to join in the celebrations, as well.

Like them, she's fully aware of how important and significant this is.

-Look, this is such a momentous occasion for us.

I know this might all look a bit over-elaborate, but believe you me, with all the stress we've been through, this is something -- We've got to celebrate small milestones.

And this is one.

Daniel here fitting the windows and doors is just, like, a miracle.

And so we need to celebrate a miracle.

Prosecco -- in the traditional Italian way.

And I'm going to see if I can fire it out the door.

Because it's a window -- I'll probably end up smashing a window.

-That's what I'm saying.

-No, there's nothing in there.

I'm gonna fire this right out of the window, if I can, so that we can celebrate a window going in.

-Whoo!

-Quick!

-Whoo!

-That was very messily done, I have to say.

I'm normally much better at this.

Probably-- I'm a bit overexcited.

♪♪ Salute.

Salute.

We've got windows!

-Yay to the windows.

-I doubt anyone has gone through as much stress as we have about some windows.

You know, they say the biggest stresses in your life are getting married and buying a house.

-Yeah.

-Well, they're not.

Trust me, the biggest stress you're ever going to have in your life is buying a ridiculously big, massive property... -Cultural heritage in Italy.

-...cultural heritage in Italy.

you want to do up and live in.

-Yeah.

-That's stress, trust me.

-The bill for the windows will be about £50,000, and it will stretch Andrew and Katja's finances to the limit.

But as far as they're concerned, it's money well spent.

-Salute.

-And a few weeks later, the couple have more good news to celebrate.

They've been told to expect a final decision about their design plans within the next few months.

-We're going to ask our architect to push them and say it's really urgent for them.

And so, you know, I think we stand a chance of getting it earlier.

And if everything is approved, that means we can start the work.

That means that we can move in.

You know, at the moment, we still don't have running water or heating, so we can't move in.

Soon as we got that, we can move in.

And when we're here, that means that the next step is that we can then have guests and make some money.

-Saving the ghost villages of Europe is never easy.

Epic projects usually come with epic problems, and Andrew and Katja have had over a decade of setbacks.

But, at last, they are on the threshold of a new start, and the castello is now about to begin a new chapter in its history.

-For us, having five apartments full of people will be like having a little village again.

-It'll be lovely.

-Yeah, it would be great.

-So we just want other people to enjoy it, you know, as soon as possible.

We want people to come and experience a little bit of what, you know, our life is like.

-It will really feel like we've got our own small, little village inside that space.

♪♪ -Coming up... -This is gross.

-...walls come tumbling down at La Galiserie.

-In the middle of the wall, we have a metal bar.

Who knows why that's in there, as well?

-And... -You see the -- -Ah, yeah, yeah.

-So it levels a little bit itself.

-...Ted and Lesa are on another steep learning curve.

-Ted reckons might be finished by 2:00.

I reckon it's going to take all day.

We'll wait and see.

♪♪ -In Montmagner, Ted and Lesa are learning another new skill as they try to finish the floor in the piggery.

After laying about 4 tons of hardcore over two rooms earlier in the week, the couple are getting ready to do the concrete pour.

-We're all learning, at the moment, how the mix should be, because it's supposed to be a lot wetter than we're used to doing, like, the watering, the lime watering.

-Luckily, they aren't on their own.

Their neighbors, Mick and Gunther, are here to help, and Gunther is a seasoned pro.

-I used to do it.

In Belgium also, I put concrete on the floor and everything, to put garden houses on and everything, so it's always nice to do something for someone else and to help people out.

And if I call Ted, he helps me also.

So if I can be any help, it's with pleasure.

-There's a lot to get through, though, and the clock is ticking.

-We've only got Gunther for a couple of hours to teach us how to do it.

We don't know what we're doing, so we're just literally hoping that we learn as much as we come from Gunther so that we can then carry on.

Ted reckons might be finished by 2:00.

I reckon it's going to take all day.

We'll wait and see.

-Back when it was built, over 500 years ago, the floor of the piggery was deliberately designed with a slope to make it easier to clean out the slurry from the pigs.

It was ideal for the pig farmers, but it's definitely given Ted and Lesa problems.

And since they've had to lay so much hardcore, it means they'll need to cover it with a lot of concrete.

-The slight issue is that it's a lot deeper than 4 inches.

Probably pushing 5 inches.

It's not a problem.

The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is whether we run out of sand.

It'll be fantastic.

It will never move.

Can I have a quick go of this?

Right, so, just, like... -Tick, tick, tick.

You see the -- -Ah, yeah, yeah.

-So it levels a little bit itself.

-When I've done anything like this before, you always think, "Oh, right, yeah, that's alright."

And then you realize it's like that.

But he knows because he's done it so many times before.

-I'll give you a point.

[ Laughter ] -Now he's going to score me out of 10.

It's too low.

-A little too low.

Yeah.

Yeah.

-Ted's not the only one on a steep learning curve.

Back outside, Lesa's struggling to get the consistency of the concrete mix exactly right.

-Then this is too dry.

-Too dry?

-What do we do?

Put it back in?

That's what can go wrong.

At least a dozen mix, I've done it too dry, so we tipped it out.

We can put it back in now.

Just thought Mick wasn't working hard enough, so I thought I'd give him a bit more work to do.

[ Laughs ] -Thankfully, after a few more tweaks, they managed to get a slick production line going, and it doesn't take too long to cover the floor.

-It's outrageous.

It really is amazing.

This is such a huge step forward.

Two or three days, he said, don't do anything with it.

We'll block all this up so it doesn't freeze.

But it's going to be a couple of weeks before this is properly dry.

Finished.

[ Chuckles ] -Thank you, Gunther.

Thank you.

Take care.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you!

I'll come let you out the gate.

It looks really brilliant.

-Looks amazing.

Looks amazing.

-It's weird, isn't it?

'Cause It's just like a concrete slab.

-Yeah.

You shouldn't be that excited about it, really, should you, but you are.

-The piggery might not yet be a gite ready to host guests, but there's no doubt things are moving in the right direction.

-If we'd have actually paid somebody to come and lay the floor for us... -It was probably three times the cost in just materials.

-Saving Europe's ghost villages is never easy, but Ted and Lesa are building their dream with patience, hard work, and determination.

They've devoted their lives to Montmagner and feel that this once-abandoned village is more than repaying their faith in it.

-Yes, it may not be absolutely the way you would have done it, but it's the way we've done it, and we're happy with it.

We're very happy with it.

-[ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Back in La Galiserie, Lolly and Sean are set for another day renovating the melon room.

-It's pretty minging in here, isn't it?

-Now that the walls have been stripped of their polystyrene insulation, Lolly is going to give them a good clean.

Meanwhile, Sean is planning to take out a breeze-block wall that's stopping access to his beloved garage and workshop, a place Lolly is currently trespassing in.

-What are you doing in my side of the street?

Did you have permission to go to that side?

-[ Laughs ] I am helping.

I'm not going to be in here for very long.

I don't want to be in here for very long.

But I'm just helping move this so you can knock it all out.

-Oof!

You have to ask for permission.

-A bit precious about his garage, which is a complete mess.

I don't know why.

-Sean soon sets to work, making sure not to damage the original stone walls of the building.

-I don't want to touch any of the stuff that's been here for years.

This is rubbish, basically.

-On the other side of the room, Lolly is conquering her fear of spiders and attacking the cobwebs with a brush.

-This is gross.

♪♪ Look at that.

Gross.

-Sean isn't making the quick progress he was hoping to, though, so decides to upgrade his tools.

-The mallet and the chisel weren't really doing anything, so I'm going to have to use a hammer drill, so hopefully it won't take as long, but you never know until we start.

So, I probably won't take two hours just to sweep a ceiling.

I'd probably take half an hour, I think.

Oh, sorry.

Did I say that out loud?

-Not to be outdone, Lolly swaps her brush for a vacuum cleaner.

But when your husband's an ex-Olympian, it's like firing a starter pistol.

-See how this has turned into a competition, a time trial.

-Oh, it's always a time trial.

-And I can't go there.

He's stopping me from working there, so he's gonna slow me down, isn't he?

-Yeah, 'cause I've got a real big choice of where I'm working.

-[ Laughs ] -In the doorway.

I think we're close, at the moment, at who's actually winning.

-That would be me.

-We're close.

-Oh!

Come on, then.

-Sean's power drill has made a huge difference, but it isn't long before he hits another hurdle.

-In the middle of the wall, we have a metal bar that goes inside both sides of the wall.

So I'm going to have to try and cut the concrete out.

Who knows why that's in there, as well, 'cause the wall's so solid, it ain't gonna move anyway.

Hey!

Victory.

Our metal bar.

Really need that in there.

Another bit done.

Oh, flying through this now.

Be careful.

-Now the couple are really in their stride, and both Lolly and Sean can see the end in sight, until, suddenly... -Five minutes I can... [ Groans ] -You alright?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-It's a horrible fall, but, thankfully, Lolly isn't badly hurt.

-I'm fine.

I'm fine.

I'm just glad -- I could have absolutely face-planted in the stone.

I hurt there, so I will have a bruise.

-That's good.

-But I am going back up to finish this.

-Are you, though?

-Yeah, no, I'm fine.

-True to her word, Lolly gets back on the platform and carries on with the job.

And it isn't long before the cleaning is done.

-I've got to say, I've just finished.

-No!

-I have.

I've finished.

-[ Groans ] -I've finished.

I'm the winner!

-So close.

Look.

Now I'm a loser.

-You are a loser.

-Sean will need to do a concrete pour where the breeze-blocks used to be, but the old melon room is now clear, and it's another step forward on this long road for Lolly and Sean as they get to grips with saving La Galiserie.

♪♪ Next time, the story of the man buying an abandoned village on eBay.

-I was always told, "Invest in bricks and mortar, you'll never lose."

So let's take a gamble.

-It's tea time in a Montmagner, but is there a secret visitor?

-You know the French lady on her own?

-Yeah.

-You think she's a food critic?

-Oh, crap.

-[ Laughs ] -And at La Galiserie, there's a spectacular transformation.

-Lolly's spraying everything gold, because this is a gold-themed room.

If it stands still for too long, it turns gold.

So, yeah, just keep moving.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪